The latest issue of Famistu magazine has revealed that Sega is bringing the latest in its long line of Initial D games to the 3DS.
Based on the long-running manga series — which has been adapted in both anime and live-action forms — Initial D Perfect Shift Online is a free-to-play offering which apparently involves selecting the correct gears during a road race. According to the magazine, the car steers automatically.
The chances of a release out of Japan are slim given the nature of the license, but Sega's previous Initial D games have found a small but passionate audience in the west.
No screens are available at present, so to set the tone here's a clip from the Initial D anime instead:
[source nintendoeverything.com]
Comments 33
Sweet. A free to play game on 3DS. What other titles are also free to play on 3DS?
Dem kids with their fancy cars. They're gonna end up in a head-on colission if they keep driving on the wrong side of the road...
I don't like F2P games, but I'll probably try it once just for kicks if they ever bring it over.
The car steers automatically? So... where's the fun?
Japan ._.
INITIAL D is one of my best manga and anime hell yes for Free to Play for 3DS but hell no for the automatic steering and correct shifting RPG option crap sigh.....Oh well back to my Initial D Extreme Stage import on my PS3.
@XCWarrior Good question, I don't see much appeal, either.
It doesn't sound like my type of game (auto steering?!) but as it's free I'll give it a go. That's if it leaves Japan of course...
Sounds too much like those really simple mobile and Facebook games where you basically don't do much besides navigate a menu.
>new Initial D game
YES
>automatic steering
nope.avi
Oh, YES! I loved Sega's arcade version of Initial D, so I see this being something I might get day one if it ever makes it to NA.
If this makes it west my son will flip out!
@Jstar269 Nintendo are working on a free to play Steel Diver game called Subwars. Not sure about any others.
Sounds like your typical "dev puts no effort into it, expects people to pay for it anyways"
But the good thing is, it reminded me to look up THIS song again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hebKybA05Wg
Is that suppose to be gameplay? Looks more like an FMV game.
@retro_player_22 You are aware that the clip shown in the article is from the anime and not from the game ? Its also stated directly above the video itself.
"According to the magazine, the car steers automatically."
lost all interest in the game xD
"a free-to-play offering which apparently involves selecting the correct gears during a road race. According to the magazine, the car steers automatically."
Sounds great. -_-
One of my favorite anime series. I will be checking out this game for sure when it comes to NA.
If it looks nice, has upgrades/customization, and finds a way to make the simple gameplay fun, I'll give it a shot. It IS free after all.
Well, I haven't played any initial D game, but I have seen the animé and it's great! The music used in the races really sets the tone!!! Besides, I'm a passionate race driver!!
automatic steering? fail. won't see the light of day outside of japan either. really need something to scratch that ridge racer itch now that series is dead.
Free to Play? Cars steer themselves? No thank you...
The only game that should have cars steering themselves was that Slot-Car Simulator...
Ha, maybe you can pay to have the option of manually steering the car.
No article on this?
http://archives.sega.jp/3d/ab2/
3D Afterburner II announced.
@Wolf_Link If you have a PS3 or PS2 or PSP you can Import the game for a low amount of money off PlayAsia or ebay etc which is gives you Initial D Special Stage (PS2), Initial D Street Stage (PSP), and Initial D Extreme Stage (PS3) which I have and they are all amazing and replayable.
hmm, cars are cool but without items/gliding/underwater/sticking on walls no thx
Love the anime! Love the arcade machine! Please come to the 3DS in the UK!
Thanks for that info Gunstarhero!
@CanisWolfred I don't see what's wrong with F2P games.
@GunstarHero234 How is the PS3 import? I love the anime and the local Gameworks has the arcade machine, but I would love to have it on a home console.
@SparkOfSpirit https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/12/3d_after_burner_ii_is_jetting_towards_the_japanese_3ds_eshop
@Shadowflash I have nothing against the idea of F2P, but most companies handle it too poorly, like, say, giving you next to zero content at the beginning of the game, meaning you have to pay to have any kind of an enjoyable time, thus defeating the purpose of being free-to-play. An F2P game should be fun on its own, to the point where you want to pay money to extend that fun. Sadly, I can only think of 3 games that ever did that...
@CanisWolfred Yeah, that's true. Although, I'd say games like TF2 handle the F2P model nicely.
So is it coming to Europe ?
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